'American Idol' Summer Tour Kicks Off With Finalists Singing to Track

The season 13 trek — playing in scaled-down venues — is the first to hit the road without a live band.

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The AmericanIdol Season 13 tour kicked off in Binghamton, New York, on Tuesday with a two-thirds full arena, according to attendees at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

In an ominous sign, the June 25 show at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, the following night was canceled, and this Sunday's show in Syracuse has been moved from the 8,800-seat War Memorial Arena to the 3,300-seat OnCenter Convention Center.

As for the set list of the 2014 tour? Like in previous tours, each Idol gets a solo turn with third-place finalist Alex Preston landing the plum position of being winner Caleb Johnson's warm-up act. Other highlights include a glow stick display during Jena Irene's set (they were selling for $15 a pop).

Smaller venues aside, one major change to this year's trek sticks out like a sore thumb: unlike previous tours, the only instruments are played by the finalists, as there is no live band on stage. Rather, most in the top 10 sing to track.